Police warn residents are keeping large amounts of jewellery at their homes
Dundee has also seen homes burgled for jewellery - especially after pets have been poisoned
Police in KwaZulu-Natal are appealing to the home owners not keep large amounts of jewellery at their homes.
There have been several incidents where thieves after poisoing pets in Dundee, break into homes and make off with jewellery worth hundreds of thousands of Rands.
Pet poisonings put residents on the edge as crime wave continues …
R20 000 reward offered for information leading to arrest of poisoning …
“We have noticed that there are a number of cases where criminals target houses specifically for jewellery. An impression is created that these criminals have information beforehand as to which homes have large amounts of jewellery. If you have a lot of jewellery at your homes it is possible that those close to you, including your family, friends or employees might be leaking information to criminals,” said spokesman, Lt Col Thulani Zwane.
Home owners should rather keep their jewellery in safety deposit boxes at facilities that are available for this purpose. You are putting yourselves and your families at risk by keeping items of extremely high value and large sums of cash at home.
This week three armed suspects entered a home at Orient Heights in Mountain Rise area near Pietermaritzburg. They allegedly forced the door open and threatened the owner and his family with firearms. A large amount of jewellery was taken from the house before the suspects fled the scene in their getaway vehicle. A case of robbery was opened at Mountain Rise police station.
Jewellery store owners are also cautioned to take extra precautions and strengthen their security measures to safeguard their jewellery. Beware of criminals who will pretend to be customers and enter the store with firearms.
